Rectifier for extending the life of light bulbs

ABSTRACT

A lighting accessory device is described for rectifying the alternating current voltage input to a conventional light bulb. The device includes an insulator separator plate having a diode inserted to its periphery, the diode being connected to contact plates above and below the insulator separator plate. A plastic, annular housing is used for the device to provide an economical, safe and convenient accessory device for lowering operating voltage and thereby extending the life of the bulb filament.

United States Patent Robert D. Kuhn Rockvllle Centre, N.Y. 861,003

Sept. 25, 1969 Nov. 2, 1971 Fedtro, Inc.

Rockville Centre, N.Y.

Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee RECTIFIER FOR EXTENDING THE LIFE OF LIGHT BULBS 1 Claim, 10 Drawing Figs.

U.S. C1 307/146 H05b41/392 307/ 146 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1965 Fritz et a1 307/146X 3,256,466 6/1966 Trolio et a1. 307/146 X 3,379,871 4/1968 Peek, Jr 240/123 3,450,893 6/1969 Munson 307/146 3,452,215 6/1969 Alessio 307/146 Primary Examiner-William M. Shoop, Jr. Attorney-Amster & Rothstein ABSTRACT: A lighting accessory device is described for rectifying the alternating current voltage input to a conven tional light bulb. The device includes an insulator separator plate having a diode inserted to its periphery, the diode being connected to contact plates above and below the insulator separator plate. A plastic, annular housing is used for the device to provide an economical, safe and convenient accessory device for lowering operating voltage and thereby extending the life ofthe bulb filament.

socket cavity and includes 1 i RECTIFIER FOR EXTENDING THE LIFE OF LIGHT BULBS 1 The present invention relates. generally to incandescent light bulbs and more particularly to an accessory for use with a conventional household light bulbfor extending the useful life thereof.

It is well known that the useful life of incandescent light bulbs may be extended by operating the light bulbs at less than their rated voltages. This is due to the fact that when the filament of a light bulb is operating at'a reduced voltage, the temperature is less than when it is operating at the rated design voltage and heat reduces bulb filament life. It is possible to obtain marked increases of useful life for relatively low reductions of operating voltage. For example, it has been determined that operation at a percent reduction in voltage from the rated design voltage will be effective to extend lamp life approximately twofold. Operation at a percent reduction from the rated design voltage will-result in an increased lamp life of approximately fourfold.

Advantage has been taken of this phenomenon in industry for some time. For example, in installations wherein extremely long bulb life is desired, such as in instrument panel lights, light bulbs are operated by various means at voltages far below their rated design values. Although used in industry, the phenomenon of increased life resulting from lower voltage has not been employed in ordinary household use due to the unfulfilled need for a safe, economical and convenient attachment to provide such a lowered operating voltage.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an accessory for a standard household incandescent light bulb which will be effective to lower the delivered voltage to the bulb.

Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device which is easily disposable between the base of the bulb and its socket to provide a lowering of delivered voltage to the bulb.

In accordance with one illustrative embodiment demonstrating objects and features of the present invention, there is provided an accessory device foritse with a conventional incandescent light bulb which includes a substantially centrally disposed insulator separator plate in the general shape of a disc and having a lamp cavity on one face and a socket cavity on the other face, a lamp-engaging contact plate being disposed in the lamp cavity and having a lug extending therefrom. A socket-engaging contact plate is disposed in the a ing extending therefrom. A semiconductor diode is connected between the lugs, the diode being held in a diode-receiving indentation of the insulator separator plate so as not to extend the periphery thereof. The accessory device as described aboye is encased in an annularly shaped plastic housing which exposes the two metal contact plates.

The above brief description, aswell as further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a graphical representation of conventional fullwave alternating current voltage 'as supplied to a standard household light bulb;

FIG. 2 is a graphical representation of the rectified halfwave voltage produced by use of an accessory device according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an assembly view of ailight bulb in its socket with an accessory device according to the invention therebetween;

FIG. 4 is a disassembled view of the assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an accessory device according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the accessory device of FIG. 5 taken along the line 6-6 thereof;

FIG. 7 is a disassembled view showing the internal components of the accessory device of FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 8 is an alternate perspective view of the central component of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an alternate component of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is an assembly view of the components of FIG. 7.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular, FIGS. 1 and 2, it may be seen that by use of a lighting accessory according to the present invention, the alternating current voltage to the lamp is rectified and therefore virtually cut in half and simultaneously approximately 50 percent of the normal current flows through the lamp. Thus, not only does the bulb filament burn cooler, but wattage power consumption is reduced by more than half.

To accomplish the result depicted by the graph of FIG. 2, a lighting accessory is shown as used in a typical bulb and socket assembly in FIGS. 3 and 4. The bulb 12 is threaded into the socket 14 in the usual way, but a lighting accessory device 16 is inserted between the contacts for the bulb l2 and the socket l4. Examining the lighting accessory in more detail by reference to FIGS. 5 through 9, it is shown as comprising an insulator separator plate 18 generally in the fonn of a disc which includes a socket cavity 20 with an annular node 200 protruding therefrom and a lamp cavity 22 together defining an opening 220 extending through the insulator separator plate and the annular node 20a. The peripheral portion 24 of the insulator separator plate 18 defines an indentation 240 for insertion of a semiconductor diode 26, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, and further defines lug-receiving slots 30a, 34a for the lugs 30, 34 of the conducting contact plates 28, 32.

Lamp contact plate 28 is intended for insertion to a lamp cavity 22 and has a lug 30 extending therefrom for connection of one of the leads 26a from the semiconductor diode 26. The other lead 26b of the diode 26 is connected to a lug 34 of the socket contact plate 32, with the socket contact plate 32 intended for insertion to a socket cavity 20 of the insulator separator plate 18. The contact plate 32 has a node-receiving cavity 32a for receiving the node 20a.

The assembly is housed by use of a plastic annular insulator housing 36 (FIG. 5) so that the contact plates 28 and 20 are exposed for contacting the lamp and socket, respectively, of a conventional lamp circuit.

In order to provide a more complete understanding of the present invention, a typical assembly operation will be described. The assembly operation for a lighting accessory device 16, according to the present invention, is commenced by insertion of the lamp contact plate 28 to the lamp cavity 22 of the insulator separator plate 18 so that its lug 30 is exposed on the peripheral surface by protrusion through slot 30a. The other socket contact plate 32 is then inserted to the socket cavity 20 with the lug 34 of the contact plate protruding through slot 34a, so that the ing 34 is exposed on the peripheral portion 24 of the insulator separator plate 18. The semiconductor diode 26 is inserted to the indentation 24a and its leads 26a, 26b, affixed by soldering or the like, to lugs 30 and 34, respectively. The assembly at this point is then molded in an annular housing 36 for completion of the device as shown in FIG. 5. In accordance with the the above description, an accessory device is provided for rectifying the alternating current voltage input to a conventional light bulb. The operating voltage is thereby lowered to enable a longer life for the bulb filament.

What is claimed is:

l. A lighting accessory device for use with a conventional bulb and socket and adapted for insertion therebetween com prising a disc-shaped insulator separator plate, the insulator separator plate defining a diode-receiving indentation, a socket cavity and a lampcavity, a diode comprising a cylindrical diode body and opposed leads extending from the ends of said body, the diode having a C-shaped configuration and extending approximately said diode-receiving indentation being situated only on the periphery of the plate and including an indentation segment to wholly receive the diode body and a pair of peripheral channels extending coextensively on each side of said indentation segment, the channels being defined perspective view of the lowermost and extending into an interruption in the underhang, and an annular insulator housing for said contact plates and said insulator separator plate, said housing exposing said contact plates on either side thereof for contacts with said bulb and said socket. 

1. A lighting accessory device for use with a conventional bulb and socket and adapted for insertion therebetween comprising a disc-shaped insulator separator plate, the insulator separator plate defining a diode-receiving indentation, a socket cavity and a lamp cavity, a diode comprising a cylindrical diode body and opposed leads extending from the ends of said body, the diode having a C-shaped configuration and extending approximately 180*, said diode-receiving indentation being situated only on the periphery of the plate and including an indentation segment to wholly receive the diode body and a pair of peripheral channels extending coextensively on each side of said indentation segment, the channels being defined by a periodically interrupted overhang and underhang extending from the plate periphery and wholly accepting the leads of the diode, a conducting bulb contact plate inserted in the lamp cavity, said bulb contact plate having a lug extending therefrom and extending into an interruption in the overhang, a conducting socket contact plate inserted in the socket cavity, said socket contact plate having a lug extending therefrom and extending into an interruption in the underhang, and an annular insulator housing for said contact plates and said insulator separator plate, said housing exposing said contact plates on either side thereof for contacts with said bulb and said socket. 